


Spontaneous Combustion

by slashmyheartandhopetoporn



Category: Jurassic Park III (2001)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-15
Updated: 2015-09-15
Packaged: 2018-04-20 21:48:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,045
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4803428
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/slashmyheartandhopetoporn/pseuds/slashmyheartandhopetoporn
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>for the prompt: "Alan proposes to Billy on the last day of the dig in front of everyone during a speech thanking everyone for their help."</p>
            </blockquote>





	Spontaneous Combustion

**Author's Note:**

  * For [jurassicanamal](https://archiveofourown.org/users/jurassicanamal/gifts).



Alan doesn’t wake up planning to do anything spontaneous—though, he supposes after the fact that’s why things are called  _spontaneous_  to start with, because they aren’t  _planned._

As such, Alan’s day starts out like any other: he wakes up, shoves Billy until he wakes up too, and then heads to the bathroom. After that’s taken care of, he comes back to shove at Billy—still sleeping—a little more, before he ends up in their small kitchenette, where he proceeds to bang and clang an ungodly and unnecessary number of pans in his quest to get a pot of coffee started. At this point, Billy comes trudging over, dressed only in the boxers he wore to bed, and the pair share a cup of coffee and some toast before dressing and heading out to start digging. The main difference with this particular day is that the dig site is in the process of being taken down by the time Alan and Billy emerge from their trailer.

“Looks like the interns beat us to it,” Alan observes.

“Desperate for one of those famous Alan Grant letters of rec,” replies Billy.

Alan has nothing to say to that, so the two of them make their way over to start helping with the take down.

It takes the whole of the day, a day in which Alan and Billy end up running around the site demanding undergrads and grad interns around every which way and feeling very much like they’re herding a band of cats from one point to another and then back again. They meet somewhere in the middle about two-thirds through the day, both looking tired and hot.

“Why is this so hard for people?” Alan snaps between drinks of water.

Billy smiles a little and pours some of his own water onto a bandanna he keeps in his pocket for this exact purpose, placing the cool, wet fabric around the back of Alan’s sun-burnt neck. “Because they’re young and inexperienced,” he says.

“So were you, but that never stopped you from doing a perfect job.”

Billy shrugs and re-positions the bandanna. “I was desperate to impress you.”

“I thought you said these kids were desperate to impress me too?” 

“Right, but obviously no one is as impressive as me.”

Alan smiles and cuffs Billy around the neck, drawing him forward to press a dry kiss to his forehead. His lips come back dappled with Billy’s sweat. He takes the bandanna from his neck, swings it around a few times to cool it back down, then presses it to Billy’s brow. “And no one ever will be." He hands the bandanna back to Billy, but the younger man shakes his head.

“Keep it. I know you forgot yours in the trailer this morning, and I hardly remember to use it.”

Alan nods and pockets the damp square of fabric. “See you at dinner.”

“You know it,” says Billy, who then immediately turns to a nearby student and shouts, “Wilkins, what the hell are you doing with that equipment?”

“Go easy on him, Billy. Isn’t that what you’re always telling me?”

Billy scowls. “That’s because you like to tan anyone's hide who asks a question you think is dumb, and Wilkins looks ready to drop a  _very_ ,  _very_  expensive piece of equipment.” Then Billy goes sprinting off after the offending undergrad.

Alan shakes his head and turns his attention back to his own group of struggling students. This is definitely one of the least favorite parts of his job.

By the end of the night, though, everything’s been successfully packed away without any destroyed equipment—not that Alan would have minded all that much—and the crew’s sitting down to their last meal at the site before they all take off in the morning.

Alan looks out at the mountains surrounding them all and finds the view almost surreal, so unmarred by their own human intervention as it is post-take down. It seems so much larger than it had just that morning. It’s as he’s admiring the sight of the mountains, back-lit by all the stars, that Alan notices Billy sitting on one of the smaller surrounding boulders. Alan finishes his plate and fishes two beers out of the cooler before making his way over to Billy.

“I come bearing gifts,” he says as he hands a can over to Billy.

“Aw, honey, you shouldn’t have,” Billy says with a smile.

“Mind if I join you?”

“Come on over, sugar-butt; this isn’t some private party.”

“I’m going to miss this place,” Alan says after taking his seat.

“I don't know about you, but I’ve been dreaming about a long hot shower for weeks now.”

Alan  _hmms_  his agreement. “That does sound nice.”

“Not to mention our shower at home is sizable enough to share,” says Billy with a wink and nudge against Alan’s side.

“And there is that.”

Then Billy sobers. “Have you thought about what you want to say to everyone after dinner?”

Alan shrugs. “What I always say, probably.”

“Alan, this isn’t exactly like every other end-of-summer speech. They deserve to know you won’t be coming back.”

“And I’ll tell them,” Alan says, wishing Billy would let him forget for just  _one second_  that he’s retiring from the field after this dig. “But that doesn’t mean there has to be a lot of fanfare either.”

Billy sighs heavily and scoots as close to Alan as he can get without knocking either of them off the rock, then he rests his head on Alan’s shoulder. “It won’t be the same without you.”

Alan throws an arm around Billy’s shoulders in return. “But it might be better. It’s okay for you to admit that. I won’t take any offense—God knows I’ve been saying that myself for years.”

“Don’t be stupid,” Billy replies. “It won’t be fucking better.”

“How about we not re-hash this argument again?” Alan asks gently. “What’s done is done, and we both agreed to it.”

Billy nods against Alan’s chest. “You’re right. I know. And you _are_ old as shit these days.”

Alan scoffs and shoves Billy off the rock. “Your impertinent youth’s going to get you in trouble one of these days.”

Billy stands and dusts himself off, then he observes with mild amusement, “Pretty sure that ship’s already sailed.”

Alan raises an eyebrow. “You might be right about that.” Then he hops off the rock, joints aching with the impact, and pulls Billy close so he can wrap an arm around his waist. “You know I love the hell out of you, right?”

Billy looks away, but he’s smiling. “I do. And you know I love the hell out of you too?”

Alan nods. “I do.”

“Well, I’m glad we cleared that up.”

“Me, too. Now how about I go announce the big news?”

There’s a moment where Alan can tell Billy wants to beg him not to. To beg Alan one last time to change his mind. But he watches the moment pass over Billy’s face until not a trace of it is left. “Better sooner rather than later,” Billy agrees, voice a little rough around the edges.

Alan kisses the top of his head before pulling Billy along towards the rest of the crew.

Alan’s never been fond of making speeches, and he’s never been any good at them either. He’s always done a little better at conferences where he has a paper to guide him through the bullet points, but coming up with something to say off the top of his head has always been significantly more challenging and uncomfortable.

He’s already thanked everyone for all their time and sweat and hard as hell work. All he has left to say is that it’s the last time he’ll get to see it. He stares out at the many faces staring back at him, then chances a glance at Billy, who’s standing just off to the side. Billy offers a small smile of encouragement, and it’s all Alan can do not to simply tell the team thank you and goodnight, and then go running up to his partner to sweep him back to their trailer for the last sex Alan will ever have in the old rickety thing.

But he resists the urge, licking his dry lips and swallowing what little spit he has left down his dry throat. But when he finally goes to speak, only a harsh cough spills out of his mouth. Billy is there a moment later to hand Alan a bottle of water, and when he turns to leave, Alan catches him by the wrist and refuses to let go.

He turns back to the crowd. “I also have an announcement to make,” he begins, and when he looks over at Billy, he can easily read the nerves etched into his features. “An announcement unrelated to the dig,” Alan continues, and Billy freezes.

“Alan, what’s going on?” he asks quietly. Alan looks at Billy a little hopelessly. He’s not sure he can control himself at this point.

“I know you all know Billy,” he says nervously to the crew. “And I know you all know about Billy and me.”

Someone wolf whistles at that, and Billy scowls. “Wilkins, I know that was you.”

“Sorry, Dr. Brennan,” someone replies sheepishly back, and Alan catches the faint grin Billy’s sporting, though he knows it’s unlikely anyone else can see it.

“Well,” Alan says, terrified of the words crawling their way up his throat of their own accord, readying to make their unplanned escape. “I just wanted to let you all know that, after we get back home, Dr. Brennan and I are planning to get married.”

There’s an immediate uproar from their audience, but all Alan can pay attention to is the shocked look on Billy’s face.

“ _What_?” the younger man squawks. “Since fucking when!”

“Since now?” Alan asks hopefully. Then, more quietly, “What do you say, Billy. Will you marry me?”

Everyone’s still clapping and hooting while Billy stands by Alan looking for all the world like some kind of stunned puppy. “What the shit kind of proposal is this?” he finally spits.

“The only kind I seem capable of making,” is Alan's anxious reply.

They’ve been talking about marriage for years, of course, Billy always wanting to take the plunge and Alan always hanging back to nurse his cold feet. But here he is, faced with a future where he and Billy won’t spend every summer side-by-side in the dirt anymore, and Alan figures if he can’t keep giving Billy that, he can at least give him this instead. Happily too, Alan’s finally come to realize.

“Come on, love. Don’t make me a liar.”

Billy takes a moment to look affronted at the suggestion. Then he yanks Alan into a hug and plants an enthusiastic kiss on his mouth. When he pulls back his expression is some kind of impressive mix of irritation, joy, and disbelief. “Of course I’ll fucking marry you,” he says, then he kisses Alan again.

When they break apart once more, Billy looks down at his left hand. “I take it I don’t even get a ring, do I, Dr. Grant?”

Alan stares at Billy’s naked ring finger dumbly before he gets an idea. “Give me your left wrist.” He pulls Billy’s bandanna out of his back pocket, and then gently ties it around the proffered limb. “This’ll have to do until we get back.”

Billy stares at it, his face caught between fond and exasperated. “I think it’ll do just fine, Alan.”

Alan nods, satisfied, then looks back out at the dig team. “Oh, and, one more thing,” he says quickly. “I’m retired.” And before anyone can say anything else about it, he brings Billy back in for a third kiss, the crew erupting in cheers once more.

Billy pulls back a moment later and punches Alan in the shoulder. “You little shit,” he says, but he’s still grinning.

“But I’m yours, and I love you,” Alan replies quietly.

Billy nods, then cups Alan’s ass in his hands. “I can't believe these are about to become official property of Dr. William Brennan,” he says.

Alan nods and rests his forehead against Billy’s. “Yeah, I thought you’d like that.”

**Author's Note:**

> First Alan/Billy fic! Can't even believe it. Want more of these two dinosaur husbands? Go checkout fuckyeahalanxbilly.tumblr.com! And if ya wanna talk to me about these two, then find me on tumblr (slashmyheartandhopetoporn.tumblr.com)!
> 
> And of course, THANKS FOR READING, Y'ALL!!!


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